Trump should stop attacking and lying about McCain

Washington Examiner ^ | March 20, 2019 10:00 AM | Quin Hillyer

[E. Pluribus Unum]

One can spend several days trying not to overreact to President Trump’s latest, unprovoked tweetstorm against the late Sen. John McCain R-Ariz., yet still conclude that there is something sick and twisted about Trump’s obsession with the singular American hero Trump disparages.

Tom Rogan already in these pages has eloquently explained why, fake heel spurs or no fake heel spurs, Trump could never be fit to wear McCain’s discarded shoes. And lawyer George Conway, husband of top Trump aide Kellyanne Conway, has presented a persuasive case that Trump’s fulminations about McCain and other bizarre eruptions are signs of a personality disorder.

What remains, though, is a reminder that on facts as well as fulminations, Trump’s flip-out against McCain is full of falsehoods.

First, as many others have noted, Trump repeatedly accused McCain of trying to spread the so-called “Steele dossier” as a way to block Trump’s election, but the undisputed evidence shows McCain didn’t even become aware of the dossier until after Election Day. (Plus, McCain did exactly what a senator should do when provided such material: He turned it over to the FBI, without prejudice. But that’s beside the point about Trump’s dishonesty.)

What has not been as adequately refuted is Trump’s allegation that McCain voted against a bill to “repeal and replace” Obamacare, and that McCain’s vote was a big surprise. Neither element of that story is true.

First, by the time a healthcare bill finally reached a vote in the Senate, it was in no way, shape or form a “repeal and replace” bill. In reality, it was a shell of a bill known as “skinny repeal,” which did next to nothing other than keep...

[Taxman]

Thank you!

McCain was a thoroughly dishonorable stain on the US Navy, the US Senate and the body politic!

[dforest]

Yes they are. They sniff out any chance they get to unload their bowels on Trump.

[bagster]

One of the central characters was Bilbo Bagster.

Gahhhh.

You got me. Okay, maybe I am a Hobbit.

Next subject.

🤣

[ExTexasRedhead]

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1108528829654552576.html?utm_source=email&utm_medium=alert&utm_campaign=internal

[miss marmelstein]

I know! They generally hide in the shadows and then when it looks like the coast is clear and Trump is about to go down, out they pop!

[miss marmelstein]

Brilliant post.

[JayGalt]

Agreed.

[JayGalt]

You want Joe Biden? Well now we know.

[basalt]

never seen anything like this....blatant attempt to take out a sitting President...its a miracle this guy is still standing. And they cant understand why Trumps rating is still high among Republicans...because everybody can see whats going on.

[Political Junkie Too]

Who asked him about McCain before his tweets last weekend? Or at the campaign rally in Ohio yesterday?

The timeline appears to be this:

1. John McCain insists he was not involved in spreading around the false "Steele dossier."
2. Sealed court documents are released proving McCain aid received the dossier and gave it to McCain. Previously, it was just speculation.
3. Ken Starr appears on Fox and Friends on Saturday morning, and in response to questions about McCain's prior denials says "I think he was an American hero. But I’m very sorry he got implicated in this in terms of spreading this very nasty stuff around... Look, John McCain was an American hero who did so much for this country, but unfortunately, this is a very dark stain."
4. President Trump paraphrases Ken Starr's line in a Tweet "Spreading the fake and totally discredited Dossier “is unfortunately a very dark stain against John McCain."
5. Later on Saturday, Meghan McCain responds about her father being more loved than Trump will ever be.
6. On Sunday, Trump responds with "So it was indeed (just proven in court papers) ‘last in his class’ (Annapolis) John McCain that sent the Fake Dossier to the FBI and Media hoping to have it printed BEFORE the Election..."
7. Reporters escalate this, resulting in the comment at the press conference about how, despite this prior bad blood, Trump still approved the state funeral for McCain.

I suppose Trump could have just let it lie, but the Mueller report is coming soon, Democrats are passing legislation demanding that the report be released, and 2020 candidates are lining up against him ready to use the report in their campaigns. So, Trump is trying the discredit the entire basis of the report by pointing out how it began with a lie, and that lie (while not created by McCain) was being spread around by McCain.

I hope this answers your question.

-PJ

[ridesthemiles]

If the dossier is really bogus, he has nothing to worry about. Mueller isn’t going to do $hit.”””

IF the dossier is as bogus as many of us believe, the American Taxpayers have been duped to pay the high cost of this paper chase.

[ExTexasRedhead]

The War Secrets Sen. John McCain Hides
Former POW Fights Public Access to POW/MIA Files
By Sydney Schanberg

http://www.vvof.org/mccain_hides.htm

[reaganaut1]

You want Joe Biden? Well now we know.

We'll get someone like Biden, Sanders or Harris if Trump does not show more self-discipline.

[AuntB]

He is dead and he is still stinking up everything.

MORE....This old fool is still messing up this country!

Indians, Lobbyists and Arizona Politics...OH MY!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2440173/posts?page=70

[basalt]

exactly right...hes doing EXACTLY what needs to be done...and hes just the guy to do it. Cant wait to vote for him again.

[Terry Mross]

One of the reasons Ross Perot hates McCain is he stopped efforts to look for POWs that were left behind. He just flat out insulted an MIA’s wife during the hearings. I believe there were POWs left behind who were left behind because of McCain’s actions. He did something or told the Vietnamese not to release all POWs. He talked to the Vietnamese constantly. For some reason McCain hated Vietnam vets. Especially former POWs. He never attended any of the conversations.

I’ve read that he gave flying patterns to the Vietnamese causing more pilots to be shot down. The shoot down rate skyrocketed after he was captured.

[Dawgreg]

McCain tried to take Trump out. He personally took the dossier to Comey after sending his aide to London to pick it up. His assistant, Kramer, then spread the dossier to 13 media outlets and to the State Department.

Two hours before McCain voted on Obamacare Trump spoke to him on the phone and McCain assured him that he would vote for repeal. Mike Pence met face to face with McCain an hour before the vote and McCain promised he would vote for repeal. He lied and voted against repeal giving Trump no opportunity to try to find someone else to vote for repeal.

Trump approved the lavish funeral arrangements for McCain that were quasi Presidential. The McCain family never thanked him and instead, used the funeral to attack Trump.

I can understand completely the intense dislike Trump has for McCain who was part of the attempted coup to take out a sitting President. Trump is far more restrained than I would be. The continuing attacks and investigations resulting from a hoax perpetrated by Hillary, Deep State, and Obama for over two years would drive me insane.

Thank you, thank you for putting this subject into perspective. You nailed it. McLame was held in undeserved esteem........he was petty, vile and a back stabber of the highest caliber......

[JayGalt]

I don’t read it that way but the future will tell us. BTW I don’t see Trump as not self-disciplined, rather the opposite.

[Dawgreg]

McCain was a vile POS his whole life. He was a selfish unamerican grifter who betrayed every trust he was given. Hundreds of thousands died from his plots. At deaths door he laid a plot to conduct a coup.

I’m glad he is dead

Yes!!!

[Terry Mross]

What medals did McCain have on his chest BEFORE he was shot down?